Event Details
Confocal Microwave Imaging for Breast Tumor Detection: Initial Feasibility Study of Tumor Detection in Three Dimensions
Presenter: Elise Fear
Supervisor:
Date: Thu, April 26, 2001
Time: 11:00:00 - 00:00:00
Place: EOW 230
ABSTRACT
Recently proposed confocal microwave imaging (CMI) has shown promising results for breast tumor detection. CMI involves illuminating the breast with an ultra-wideband pulse, recording reflections monostatically for a number of different antenna locations, and then synthetically focusing the resulting data. Scanning the focal point through the region of interest forms an image. Returns from strongly scattering objects add coherently when the focal point corresponds to their location; at other points in the image, clutter adds incoherently and is reduced. Tumor detection results from the contrast in electrical properties of normal and malignant breast tissue, as normal breast tissue is relatively translucent and tumors are strongly scattering at the frequencies of interest.
We are investigating a cylindrical CMI system, in which the woman to be scanned lies on her stomach with the breast extending through a hole in the examination table. Antennas encircle the breast, and are located at a distance from the skin. Preliminary computational results indicate successful detection and localization of small tumors in two dimensions. In this talk, the transition between localizing the tumor response in two and three dimensions is explored. Specifically, a simplified breast model is used to synthesize data at a number of antenna locations. This approach greatly reduces computational costs, while allowing for insight into the number of antennas required to detect and localize small tumors in a 3D breast volume.